IBPS Clerk · Bite-size lessons
Fill in the Blanks
About 5 min · English Language · English
Time worked out from the lesson's 291 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.
These questions test your vocabulary depth, contextual understanding, and grammatical awareness simultaneously. Unlike Reading Comprehension where context is abundant, here you must extract maximum meaning from a single sentence.
Key ideas
- Context is king: Every sentence contains clues — positive/negative tone, cause-effect relationships, contrast markers — that point toward the correct answer. Never guess without analyzing context first.
- Tone matching: If the sentence describes something negative (failure, decline, criticism), the blank likely needs a negative word. Positive contexts need positive words. Mismatched tone = wrong answer.
- Grammar filters first: Before meaning, check if the blank needs a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. This eliminates 1–2 options instantly in most questions.
- Collocations matter: Certain words naturally pair together ("make a decision" not "do a decision"). Bank exams frequently test these fixed expressions.
- Double-blank strategy: Both words must fit perfectly. If even one word in an option feels wrong, eliminate the entire option.
Quick reference
- First step: Identify if blank needs noun/verb/adjective — eliminate grammatically impossible options.
- Look for tone markers: Negative context (failure, decline, problem) needs negative word; positive context needs positive word.
- Contrast words flip the logic: "although," "despite," "however" mean the blank is opposite to what you might expect.
- Double blanks: Test BOTH words separately; one mismatch = reject entire option.
- Common collocations to remember: make a decision, reach a conclusion, submit a report, pose a threat, address concerns.
Check yourself: 3 questions
1. The company has decided to _______ its operations to rural areas to tap the potential market.
2. Despite facing numerous _______, the athlete remained _______ and ultimately won the championship.
3. The new policy aims to _______ the gap between the rich and the poor by providing subsidies to low-income families.
This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 17 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.
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